 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar He just telephoned me two minutes ago I'm on my way to meet him now and try and make a deal I told him if he'd give me a statement about the attempt to fraud worldwide on Lansing's $50,000 policy, I do my best to have them drop charges You didn't make any promises I couldn't make any promises Jim But I'll do my best to see that the charges are dropped if he gives me that statement Well, if he gives you that statement, I'll help you Where are you meeting him at the at a place near here? He knows every cop in the area is looking for yeah Tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator is truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar and Tucson, Arizona to the Universal Adjustment Bureau home office Hartford, Connecticut The following is a further accounting of expenditures during my investigation of Well, it was a case of 50,000 insurance to one Arlene Kennedy unless I could prove my point in the Lansing fraud Expense account item 10 10 bucks care fair for my hotel to the mission sound heavier to talk to Hillary Franks The insurance agent with no future ahead. I used a taxi cab instead of my rented car because I didn't want to waste time searching around for the mission It was a few miles outside of town over rough and broken desert roads An ancient missionary church standing stark against the moon-filled night Good here keep the change No Not many places to call a cab from out here. Yeah, I know One of the pod rays your friend. No, no, I'm newer out here You all right, mr. Hmm. You feel all right. You're loaded. No. Why we're coming out here at midnight Oh, it's just a whim friend. Don't worry about it Sure Mister, yeah You're gonna meet somebody here or something. Why I just saw a guy standing over by the bell tower. Oh, thanks Good night Hillary Franks had a 38 pointed right at my chest In the bright moonlight, I could see that he was still wearing the same clothes. He'd had on two days before in his office He needed to shave and judging from the circles under his eyes. He hadn't slept much He was pale and shaken a gun wobbled in his hand Anybody with you? I came along Did you tell anybody you were meeting me? Jim Carter? He's been working the case with me. Did you tell him where no? Look, you don't need that gun Franks put it away. I just came here to talk with you on the smoke Thank you. Dr. Carter What did he say he said he'd help me try and have the charges dropped against you if you give us a statement Now you have two of us on your side, mr. Franks if you want to cooperate Do you I want to straighten out what I care well now's the time to do it What was your deal with Arlene Kennedy James Lansing's sister in beneficiary? I met Arlene Kennedy Right after my wife died. I Guess I was very low. Oh, that's perfectly natural. I became interested in Arlene because we had a great many things in common So I thought I mean she was a widow and had no one except her brother James Lansing in Los Angeles and we went together and eventually I asked her to marry me But she laughed at me why I guess I'm not an exciting man a Witty one or even an interesting one, mr. Dollar Mrs. Kennedy made me feel as though my whole life had been hopeless useless raising children selling insurance She made me feel as though I'd miss a great deal in life unless I married her What is it? What do you want from me? What do you want from life? I'd ask her And she'd only laugh laugh at me Go on I Just can't tell you how desperate it made me feel. I I loved her mr. Dollar. I wanted her Did she ever answer your questions? Oh many times she pointed out that her trust funds pay her over $700 a month for life and she knew that my commissions and salary as a broker came to about the same Mr. Dollar we could have lived very comfortably on that kind of income but Arlene talked of traveling of Europe of clothes and I don't know things her family had been able to afford for her once many years ago and She said she wouldn't marry unless we could look forward to that kind of life She wanted $50,000 in cash instead of money just trickling in every month That's about it When did she get around to the proposition her brother's insurance her brother came here from Los Angeles one day The doctors there gave him a year to to live. Oh, yes. He was pretty shot been drinking for years He'd used up all his money. Oh a long time before he asked Arlene to help him She paid his apartment rent and gave him enough money for liquor and then one day One day she came right out of it. She said she was investing in him And he was a good risk because she knew he'd die That's how she put it to me Arlene said all I had to do was see to it that her brother had a nice fat policy He was going to die. Why not cash in on it? I Must have been crazy to even think about it. How did you work it? I mean how did dr. Mayhood pass him? I paid a man a hundred dollars to go to dr. Mayhood's office and take the physical for Lansing What was the man's name? Oh, no, no, I wouldn't tell you that. He's not involved in any all right. We'll let that go Once you arrange for Lansing to become insured you and mrs. Kennedy just planned on waiting for him to die That was the general idea and view of what the Los Angeles doctors have said Once I'd done it I mean gotten him insured it was too late to turn back Did you want to turn back? Yes What did mrs. Kennedy say about bugging out she thought I was weak and afraid Oh, then things weren't so good between how they never were mr. The idea was to wait for Lansing to die collect the 50,000 and get married, huh? I suppose. Oh, yes, but But once he was insured She talked less and less about our getting married You're leaving something out mr. Franks Huh, didn't she tell you exactly what kind of a position you were in Didn't she fix it so that you couldn't make a move Legally, she'd done nothing wrong. It was you who had arranged for the physical you would made the application for insurance in the name of her brother Oh, yes. Oh, yes, she was clear about all that and she told me so every time she felt like it when you write down what you just told me and sign it We can hold it over mrs. Kennedy's head to prove attempted to fraud and collusion Now would you do that mr. Franks? Yes Then I guess we'd better get back into town Come on, mr. Franks We walked three miles over to the highway flagged on a car and got back to the hotel about 2 30 in the morning Got Jim Carter out of bed and close fine Notarized statement of Hilary Franks explaining his part in the matter regarding policy six seven eight JN two three L Before he was finished Carter had already telephoned the Tucson police telling them that the charges were being dropped against Franks And that he was no longer a fugitive then he placed a long-distance call to worldwide's president and Hartford Jim Carter, sir. I want to ask you not to prosecute Hilary Franks in this matter Yes, sir, he's given us a complete statement about the whole thing. I don't think we have to go any farther than that Look the guy made one mistake the first one in 17 years. He suffered enough for it already Yes, sir. Dollar feels that way too Yes, sir. I think it's okay, mr. Franks I Thank you What are you gonna do mr. Franks? Well, sure. I'll never sell insurance again. I Think I'll close up and just move away far away Thank you. Oh, let's clean up the rest of this and get out of this town sure Johnny Hilary Franks pulled out of Tucson that afternoon Mrs. Kennedy was shown a carbon of the enclosed statement of Hilary Franks. She instructed her attorneys to withdraw the suit against worldwide Expensive count item 11 75 dollars hotel and board while in Tucson item 12 402 dollars and 15 cents plane tickets Tucson to Hartford for Carter myself We were scheduled to leave at 1 30 in the morning two hours before plane time I dropped by mrs. Kennedy's house to have her sign a release of all claims on the insurance company and for other reasons Carried Arlene Kennedy to the couch and I did what I could for I phone the police and told them to bring an ambulance After that, I began looking around. I found a dark stain on the window still leading outside of the back of the house on The floor a bloodstained letter opener. There was no gun inside anywhere. I Decided if I had been stabbed with a letter opener It would be easier to try to make it out the back way than risk the street It was bound to be full of policemen any minute. I was right Ah Hillary Frank's was on a ledge of rocket rolls above the back of the house. I duck behind some cactus plants get away from me You know, I won't you know, I wouldn't when I let you walk out this afternoon That's right. Now put that gun away and come on off that ledge You miss by a mile. You don't know anything about shooting a gun. Come on down. I'm coming after you Can you walk? Why did you do it mr. Franks? I came back to see her at night She laughed at me said if we had gotten the insurance money she She was planning to run away someone else She just used me Mrs. Kennedy was dead when the police got there Hillary Franks died enroute to the receiving hospital item 1315 bucks hotel one more night in Tucson Expense account total 1121 dollars and 13 cents yours truly Johnny dollar Remember there'll be another exciting story beginning next Monday night next week a quick trip to New York to the bright lights the glamour of Broadway with its theaters its actors and Yeah, some very bad actors. You might even say killers Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey Transcribed in Hollywood written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Heard in this week's cast were Mary Jane Croft Vivi Janice Jean Tatum I ever back Barney Phillips Russell Thorson and Howard McNair musical supervision by Amarigo Marino Be sure to join us on Monday night same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Roy Rowan speaking